With a little

tweaking left to do, Fayette County is about to have its long-anticipated,

long-term recreation plan.

A needs assessment

has been conducted by Robert and Company to determine the county's needs

in the coming years. The plan calls for an estimated $19.2 million in

projects between 2005 and 2020.

The report

was discussed at last week's county commission meeting, but was ultimately

tabled after several concerns from Commissioner Peter Pfeifer. Commissioner

Linda Wells and Chairman Greg Dunn said they want the plan to be adopted

quickly so the county can begin addressing the lack of recreation areas

seen in north Fayette County.

Pfeifer said

he would not approve the plan as written since it indicated little need

for additional facilities in the Peachtree City area. Citizens there pay

county taxes also, he pointed out, adding that there are several "great"

features of the plan.

Dunn said the

plan doesn't focus on recreation needs for Peachtree City since it already

has a large number of facilities operated by the city. In contrast, the

northern part of Fayette County has little in the way of any recreation

facilities, Dunn added.

Pfiefer also

said the county should be conservative in building special recreation

amenities such as horseshoe and handball courts to make sure they are

well-used before more are built.

Dunn said the

plan was a work in progress and not set in stone as the commission can

choose which projects to fund during the budget process each year.

With the county's

population growing, one strong need will be for another indoor swimming

pool facility to complement the Kedron Aquatic Center in Peachtree City,

the report states. Dunn pointed out that the YMCA has plans to build such

a facility that could meet the county's future needs.

The study also

calls for two more soccer fields, six more baseball fields and two softball

fields between 2005 and 2020. There is also a need for 19 more playgrounds

and 40 picnic pavilions, according to the study.

The County

Commission is expected to further discuss the recreation plan today at

its 3:30 p.m. meeting.